Special Report: Thailand gears up for arrival of ASEAN

[Lite Beer]

Special Report: Thailand gears up for arrival of ASEAN

BANGKOK: -- A Directorate Center has been set up by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to prepare Thailand for the arrival ASEAN Community in 2015. The NCPO has also formed a committee to take charge of the operations of the center.

The committee, chaired by the Deputy Head of NCPO and Security Chief, will be responsible for setting policies, guidelines, and Thailand’s position in the cooperative frameworks of ASEAN.

The NCPO intends to integrate the work of all relevant agencies in preparation for the ASEAN Community for all three pillars – the ASEAN Political-Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.

The Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board has worked out an eight-point strategy to get Thailand ready for the ASEAN Community. The strategy seeks to enhance Thailand’s competitiveness in relation to the development of quality of life, social protection, infrastructure and logistics, and human resources. it also seek to improve laws and regulations, create better understanding and awareness of ASEAN, enhance security, and increase potential for greater opportunities from ASEAN connectivity.

Among the urgent issues is skill development in terms of both professions and languages for communication, in response to the demands of the country and the region.

In preparation for the ASEAN Community, the Office of the Basic Education Commission is developing professional English courses for underprivileged students who have no opportunity to continue their studies after finishing the lower secondary education level. The objective is to equip them with proficient English language communication skills for employment in various industries.

The professional English courses focus on conversation, or communication, for 10 occupational groups, such as English for Hotels, English for Construction Workers, English for Cashiers, and English for Convenience Stores.

In this regard, the existing English courses being taught in secondary education schools will be adjusted, so that professional English courses will be added during English hours in schools. The Office of the Basic Education Commission has provided training for 450 English-language teachers who will teach professional English courses in this pilot project, beginning in the second term of the 2014 academic year. The project will be expanded to cover 7,000 schools in the near future.

-- NNT 2014-07-20

[Chang_paarp]

As they have decided to make life difficult for the English teaching class, the Junta might find out a little late they will struggle to be in the game. Maybe they can apply for waterboy positions.

[trainman34014]

I've been reading this sort of crap about ''Gearing up for Asean'' now for years. It's always about 6,8,10 or 20 point strategies being put in place and what is going to be done in the second half of this year, next year or sometime never. They've missed the boat in many ways already and the effects of that will be long term. Nothing new here......NEXT !

[terryp]

I wish thailand all the best ...They sure are going to need it

This could have been a fantastic opportunity ...but sadly the elites and now the killer leaders are just too far up their own backsides they will be run right over

[ratcatcher]

"The Office of the Basic Education Commission has provided training for 450 English-language teachers who will teach professional English courses in this pilot project, beginning in the second term of the 2014 academic year."

Are these teachers Thai or Farang native speakers?

[UbonRatch]

"The Office of the Basic Education Commission has provided training for 450 English-language teachers who will teach professional English courses in this pilot project, beginning in the second term of the 2014 academic year."

Are these teachers Thai or Farang native speakers?

You know the answer to that!

450 Thai teachers who are great at individual points of grammar, but can't string a spoken sentence together!

Edit: Also, what is a "professional English course" ???

Edited July 20, 2014 by UbonRatch

[Somtamnication]

"We id ready, krap"

[noitom]

So the Thais are "gearing up." They plan to have special English courses for various trades. So the Thais will be memorizing various phrases and response like basic travel English book. But they won't comprehend the idea of interpersonal conversational skills that require a little general human behavioral knowledge. They will merely spout out a memorized answer regardless of the question. The visitor will look at them dumbfounded and walk away.

[lostinisaan]

The professional English courses focus on conversation, or communication, for 10 occupational groups, such as English for Hotels, English for Construction Workers, English for Cashiers, and English for Convenience Stores.

The teachers will be recruited from several bars in Pattaya, Bangkok and Phuket. The Junta will also pay the bar fine for the teaching period. Period.

I hope they don't get lost in their conversational communications.

[jaltsc]

" The strategy seeks to enhance Thailand’s competitiveness..."

The only strategy that's going to enhance Thailand's competitiveness is recruiting nationals from other southeast Asian countries to work in Thailand. Right now, working in 7-11 is too much of a challenge for most university graduates in Thailand. International educational standards require more than being able to sing the same songs every morning and trying to kill students from other schools.

[lostinisaan]

"The Office of the Basic Education Commission has provided training for 450 English-language teachers who will teach professional English courses in this pilot project, beginning in the second term of the 2014 academic year."

Are these teachers Thai or Farang native speakers?

Smart classrooms will replace teachers.

[lostinisaan]

"The Office of the Basic Education Commission has provided training for 450 English-language teachers who will teach professional English courses in this pilot project, beginning in the second term of the 2014 academic year."

Are these teachers Thai or Farang native speakers?

You know the answer to that!

450 Thai teachers who are great at individual points of grammar, but can't string a spoken sentence together!

Edit: Also, what is a "professional English course" ???

Might be a weekend seminar with professional cooks, able to make Somtahm Lao for the lunch break.

[snarkles]

ASEAN is of no benefit to the majority of Thai people. Big business and Big family will love it.

[lostinisaan]

Okay, trying to rephrase that.

One smart classroom for each child policy seems to be THE solution for Thailand.

[Just1Voice]

If losing face is bad, then Thailand should be ready for mass suicides for such losses within 2 years of ASEAN kicking in.

What was once the "diamond" in SE Asia has become little more than a cubic zirconia stone in a cheap jewelry store. They have squandered one opportunity after another due to their "Thainess" and misplaced feelings of "superiority". and that they are the center of the universe. When much better English speaking workers from the other ASEAN nations start flooding the employment market, the number of Thai with worthless degrees applying for jobs at 7-11, Tesco, Big C, etc, are going to multiply exponentially.

There's a hospital I know of who has a Translation Department for English, Japanese and Chinese. When I spoke to the director, he told me they had to hire, and pay substantial wages to a Native Chinese, and Native Japanese translators, and then hired a Filipino for the English, because they could not find any Thai who were fluent enough in any of the 3 languages to act as proper interpreters. And that's just one hospital in Chiang Mai. How many tourist industry related jobs are already going to Filipino for their English skills? Thai tour guides complain that Native Speakers of a language are "taking their jobs", but how many of these Thai who are complaining are actually fluent in those languages?

A few years ago there was a story of the president of an IT company looking to expand into SE Asia. Thailand was on the list, but he finally settled in Singapore. When interviewed he stated that he had to cross Thailand off his list for 2 reasons. 1st, his company is an international company, and fluency in English is a must. He couldn't find those who qualified. 2nd, he couldn't find the necessary qualified employees, speaking English or not, to actually work in his company. How many more companies are, and have been, running into the same situation?

If I'm an employer, I'm going to hire the best qualified people I can for my company and, unfortunately for Thailand, that usually means a "non Thai" will get the job.

Is Thailand ready for AEC and ASEAN? Maybe in another 10 years they might be.

[ratcatcher]

"The Office of the Basic Education Commission has provided training for 450 English-language teachers who will teach professional English courses in this pilot project, beginning in the second term of the 2014 academic year."

Are these teachers Thai or Farang native speakers?

Smart classrooms will replace teachers.

Will they be filled with 'smart' students?

[Jeremy50]

So, schools are going to be full of mature students during normal lesson times. Great idea!

[lostinisaan]

The curriculum changes will also place more importance on the country's history and civic education to promote a sense of unity and patriotism, he said

Which means more boy scout marching and properly a new and longer national anthem everybody likes to sing in the morning.

Unity and patriotism. Gotta love this one. Reminds me of a country in Europe a long time ago, that finally had lost the war.

[lostinisaan]

"The Office of the Basic Education Commission has provided training for 450 English-language teachers who will teach professional English courses in this pilot project, beginning in the second term of the 2014 academic year."

Are these teachers Thai or Farang native speakers?

Smart classrooms will replace teachers.

Will they be filled with 'smart' students?

Yep. Obec will also expand the satellite-based Klaikangwon Palace distance learning scheme to cover all schools, especially small ones.

They'll be able to learn English within a week with the help of Tony Blair. Aeeh Blame.

[thairookie]

Gearing up for arrival of AEC, starting with Visa crackdown whilst the rest of the ASEAN members are opening up their borders.

[whgthai]

With so many foreigners living in Thailand, maybe an idea to offer free work permits to teach English to so many who need at least some basic knowledge? I am constantly amazed that even at bit supermarket (i.e. Tesco Lotus EXTRA), nobody speaks ANY English...

[Crazy chef 1]

The professional English courses focus on conversation, or communication, for 10 occupational groups, such as English for Hotels, English for Construction Workers, English for Cashiers, and English for Convenience Stores.

The teachers will be recruited from several bars in Pattaya, Bangkok and Phuket. The Junta will also pay the bar fine for the teaching period. Period.

I hope they don't get lost in their conversational communications.

at least it would be an improvement compared to the existing english teachers here-weelcoooome.

[lostinisaan]

The professional English courses focus on conversation, or communication, for 10 occupational groups, such as English for Hotels, English for Construction Workers, English for Cashiers, and English for Convenience Stores.

The teachers will be recruited from several bars in Pattaya, Bangkok and Phuket. The Junta will also pay the bar fine for the teaching period. Period.

I hope they don't get lost in their conversational communications.

at least it would be an improvement compared to the existing english teachers here-weelcoooome.

Indeed. Of course will they be allowed to offer their friendly services to foreign teachers at schools for free to "enhance" their speaking skills.

[Crazy chef 1]

The professional English courses focus on conversation, or communication, for 10 occupational groups, such as English for Hotels, English for Construction Workers, English for Cashiers, and English for Convenience Stores.

The teachers will be recruited from several bars in Pattaya, Bangkok and Phuket. The Junta will also pay the bar fine for the teaching period. Period.

I hope they don't get lost in their conversational communications.

at least it would be an improvement compared to the existing english teachers here-weelcoooome.

Indeed. Of course will they be allowed to offer their friendly services to foreign teachers at schools for free to "enhance" their speaking skills.

would it be mandatory it will be the first time here that i am happy NOT to be an english teacher...

[thesetat2013]

"The Office of the Basic Education Commission has provided training for 450 English-language teachers who will teach professional English courses in this pilot project, beginning in the second term of the 2014 academic year."

Are these teachers Thai or Farang native speakers?

They would have to be Thais

There has been no offers online or at the MOE for Native speaking foreigners to take this training.

Good luck to them with their courses. But i think without correct pronunciation there will be a lot of misunderstandings.

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[swifty5x5]

With so many foreigners living in Thailand, maybe an idea to offer free work permits to teach English to so many who need at least some basic knowledge? I am constantly amazed that even at bit supermarket (i.e. Tesco Lotus EXTRA), nobody speaks ANY English...

Good idea but I would also offer free work permits to teatch Thai's how to fn drive.

[lostinisaan]

The professional English courses focus on conversation, or communication, for 10 occupational groups, such as English for Hotels, English for Construction Workers, English for Cashiers, and English for Convenience Stores.

The teachers will be recruited from several bars in Pattaya, Bangkok and Phuket. The Junta will also pay the bar fine for the teaching period. Period.

I hope they don't get lost in their conversational communications.

at least it would be an improvement compared to the existing english teachers here-weelcoooome.

Indeed. Of course will they be allowed to offer their friendly services to foreign teachers at schools for free to "enhance" their speaking skills.

would it be mandatory it will be the first time here that i am happy NOT to be an english teacher...

Nope. As far as the OBEC ruled, it's not mandatory.

[lostinisaan]

"The Office of the Basic Education Commission has provided training for 450 English-language teachers who will teach professional English courses in this pilot project, beginning in the second term of the 2014 academic year."

Are these teachers Thai or Farang native speakers?

They would have to be Thais

There has been no offers online or at the MOE for Native speaking foreigners to take this training.

Good luck to them with their courses. But i think without correct pronunciation there will be a lot of misunderstandings.

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

They usually "learn" their special skills in weekend seminars, but usually held by foreigners who can speak English.

When trainees become trainers of trainees, who're not much better than the trainees, there might be some problems to be successful in training trainees.

Or short. It doesn't work.

[Travel2003]

The vast majority of us (I mean us here in Thailand), will probably not notice any big difference.

[ratcatcher]

I have often gone into banks, hospitals,True, AIS and DO HOME and politely asked in Thai " Do you have someone here who speaks English". Hospitals, AIS and True usually have one staff member who has a basic grasp and they try to be helpful but often their reaction is sometimes akin to me having asked if they can speak Swahili.

The most proficient speakers of English in Thailand are usually ladies working in bars, hotels and restaurants where there are large numbers of farang customers who usually speak English.

It's a shame but that's the way it is, too many Thais who have learned some English at school are too shy to try and converse, even in a simple conversation with a farang.